First, I will address the issue of rights and marriage. I will then deconstruct your bizarre assertion that homosexual behaviour 'influences kids'.

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Here is an excerpt of mine from a previous debate on this topic:

"The right to engage in a relationship with another person is fundamental to the human condition. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." [http://www.un.org...]
Furthermore, Article 2 of the same declaration demands "[e]veryone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind..."

I also made the case that,

- Having relationships with other people is not a privilege, it is a right
- Formalising that relationship through marriage is also a right
- Two homosexuals getting married does not infringe upon anyone else's rights to marriage
- It is the business of those two people. No one else.

I will now address your assertion that homosexuality is something that can influence children.

The scientific literature is clear on this topic: homosexuality is not a choice [http://www.iflscience.com...]. As an example, I present this thought experiment. I am a heterosexual male, and I have a girlfriend. I enjoy kissing her and spooning and all the things that go along with being in a relationship with a female. To me, the idea of kissing/having sex with a male does not even remotely excite me, and causes a pretty unpleasant feeling; I would not wish to engage in a relationship with a man. I could not possibly choose to want to have sex with a man, because I am heterosexual and I'm just not built that way. Could you possibly foresee yourself making the CHOICE to sleep with someone of the same gender? Unless you are born homo-, bi- or asexual, you are going to be attracted to people of the opposite gender. However, being born gay would mean that this thought experiment works in reverse. The thought of sleeping with someone of the opposite sex likely repulses them, and yet they are forced to do so to conform to artificial, arbitrary social standards which aren't helpful to anyone. The only two people that are affect by a gay couple are the people in that relationship. Children seeing a gay couple might become more tolerant, or feel more comfortable coming out if they already are gay, but it will certainly not 'turn them gay'. This is just absurd.

Reasons for voting decision: Con, the instigator, made absolutely no arguments, only assertions. It appears to be a trend among many of the inherently prejudiced, to make contentious claims and then disappear. Nonetheless, had he returned, he would probably have had a hard time refuting Pro's very well reasoned arguments. Very poor conduct on Con's part. All points to Pro.

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